For those of you looking for history of your bike this is an extremely good read

Over all, a VERY good article. BUT....I will say, several things about the article....make me pause. Author in the very beginning calls the bike "low tech". Really? I don't think so. And then he goes on to talk about how high tech things like the suspension system are. Hmmmm.....seems a bit conflicted if you ask me. And, he claims Jay Leno has "the first one off the production line". I suppose that is possible, but.....is that actually true/fact? How do you know/prove that? Just wondering..........

He also talks about how most folks only ride them a short distance and to shows. Obviously, never visited THIS board and read about many of you (who have traveled cross country thousands of miles just to come to a Rune Rally on a three day weekend in September)! Claims most won't modify them. Again, must not have ever been on here.....did any research about many of YOU on here! Oh wait, then he again contradicts himself, and says there are active Forums where people do ride them and modify them. Hmmmm....he sounds kind of confused.....can't make up his mind

Talks about rarely seeing one with a non standard exhaust (but wait, again....earlier in the article he said he's NEVER seen one on the road...........must be talking about just pictures of Runes he has seen?). While he may not have seen one "outwardly" that was a non-standard exhaust, if he'd ever been at a Rune Rally, of course....he would have HEARD many that were non standard....as in....drilled exhaust! And he talks about lean angles and not dragging/scraping. Hmmmm......never rode with these folks here at the Rune Rallies in the mountains. There is PLENTY of scraping and dragging going on 🤪 Just try following Skibum, Nate, MoRuneRider, TinPony....and the list goes on an on. I've had several people contact me about buying spare pegs .....because they grind their pegs down so badly with the hard cornering in the twisties. If you know how to ride a Rune "like you stole it", you can do PLENTY of dragging and scraping....and have a ball doing it!

Hey, it's a real good article. I'm just nitpicking on some stuff that stood out to me...........and putting some traffic on the board and food for thought, as it were............

Skibum used to drag the bottom of his exhaust in the mountains when I rode behind him and Connie. I'm pretty sure of that, he can confirm it.

Hey, I think it's a good article. But written by a NON Rune owner......who doesn't hang out on this Forum....and hasn't been to a Rune Rally or gathering. So how would he know?

SPOILER ALERT....QUITE LONG STORY FOLLOWS!!!!

So with that, in the spirit of the season and sharing, I'll repeat some information I've written about on here before....several times. Old timers, bear with me, roll your eyes ....and be patient. Some of the new folks no doubt have NOT heard this information. And I'd love for some others to chime in with their memories/history. Sadly, many of the OLD, OLD timers....are gone....passed away...sold their Runes, etc. For instance, Chuck/Sitedata was one of the few people IN THE WORLD....that got a Rune.....before me. He got his in July of 2003. I got mine in August of 2003. The first ones to come out....came out in July of 2003. So....here is some more history/information....REPEATED....for others newer on the site to hear....and maybe spur some memories from others who might also share more?


I was at the Valkyrie Inzane Rally in Ohio in June of 2002 (or was it July?) when Charlie Keller, then of Honda Riders Club of America, came to the Inzane Rally and told us he had VERY exciting news. Said he couldn't tell us too much, but that his announcement at our large Honda Valkyrie event was the FIRST any Honda person had been allowed to share this news. A new motorcycle was coming....in the next year. It was going to be different and exciting. That's about all he could tell us....other than Honda would announce more details to the World in October of that year (2002). Sure enough, Honda told us HRC members they would announce to us first...then a few days later....to the world....the new bike. And sure enough, in October 2002 they announced it.....and had a picture of the Red with chrome wheels. I HAD TO HAVE ONE. At that time, we were fed this "BS" that there would be no more than ONE PER DEALER, and some low volume dealers, getting NONE. It was to be VERY LIMITED production (the number of which that were made, is still debated to this day). So the very next day I went to my local Dealer to enquire and put a deposit down. I was back then, one of their top 3 customers. I had multiple Waverunners (water craft) in my garage I bought from them, a four wheeler, a UTV side-by-side, multiple motorcycles, Honda generators. I'd been buying one or two bikes EVERY year. And I always decked them out with just about everything I could put on them. In short, I was spending a TON of money with them....so much, again....I was in their top three customers for volumes of sales they had made to me. But by the time I got down there THE VERY NEXT DAY after the announcement on the Honda website, my best friend at the time....who owned a construction company and spent EVER MORE than I did on bikes and stuff ....and was one of the other top 3 customers, he had already "beat me to the punch". He had gone down that same next day FIRST thing they opened, and put a deposit down for a Rune. Sorry....they told me.....Jerry (my buddy) was getting their one and only Rune. If by chance they got another one, I could take a stab at it. But no guarantees they would get a second one. So I called a Dealer in Troy (55 miles south of Montgomery, AL)......a Dealer I knew the owner on a first name basis for years. I said "hey, you've been trying to sell a bike to me for years....here's your chance". I asked if anyone had put a deposit on a Rune. Nope. So I did....ordered the Red with chrome wheels.

The next summer, at the annual Valkyrie Inzane event ( with the Honda Homecoming being put on at the same time in nearby Marysville), they were selling tickets for a chance at riding a Rune at the nearby Honda plant (the Valk Rally was in Zainesville, OH, the plant was in nearby Marysville, OH). They sold THOUSANDS of dollars in tickets....to folks who wanted to ride a Rune before they were even sold to the public. I had heard ....for those with orders....our bikes were coming out in July or August. So when I didn't when one of the rides in the drawing (think I bought 20 bucks in tickets?), I wasn't too disappointed...as I knew I would soon own one and could ride one anytime I wanted! But it was very cool to be there with the folks from the Rally to be some of the first people to actually see and hear a Rune (and a few lucky winners rode one).


Alas, in the end, the chrome wheel Runes had issues...and were delayed in delivery that first year. So my order with my #2 Dealer of choice....was on hold...in limbo....due to the chrome wheels. Meanwhile, shortly after the announcement of the Rune in October 2002, good friend Lamont Bryden (alias Lamonster) had asked me to run this Rune board (in a different/earlier format). I accepted....and was running the board....where the very earliest information could be gleaned. I began to see a few bikes arrive around the country (all black, all non chrome wheels, and if I remember right, all with forward bars?). And then, a few people on here.....like Chuck/Sitedata....actually GOT A RUNE! I saw one showed up at a Dealer in Dothan AL 100 miles south of me in early August 2003....the FIRST one in Alabama. I called them, and they knew me too from sponsoring some of the many events I was putting on in the motorcycle world at the time. They told me the guy that ordered that black one, a Doctor, had backed out of the deal. I asked if I could have them hold it for me. They took my credit card info, and I told my bank I was probably going to write them a check for the bike most likely the very next day. This was a Friday, and I didn't want any issues with writing a check...so I had the Dealer call my bank on Friday to confirm I had the money in the bank. It was about the same price the Troy dealer had offered, a few thousand off of MSRP. I drove with Sherry in the car down to Dothan, AL on Saturday morning.....looked and sat on the bike....and was sold on it. Bought it and rode it back home like I stole it They couldn't tell me how to get under the seat. They knew nothing about the bike. What a blast it was riding that FIRST Rune in Alabama back the 100 miles home. I stopped at a gas station, and didn't think I'd ever get moving again....people coming up to me asking.....what is it.....over and over.

I can honestly say I got the first one in Alabama....and one of the first ones in the country and on this board. How do I know for FACT mine was the first in Alabama? When I went down to register it, it took about an hour. No one had ever registered one. So they had to get it entered into the computer/system. And it's Alabama.....ya' know....so things don't happen quickly here 🤪

The second one showed up weeks later....also black. It went to Barbers Motorcycle Museum in Leeds (near Birmingham) AL. I went up to see that bike at a Dealer in Birmingham, only to find out they just sold it to Barbers....and a truck had just come and hauled it off.....WITHOUT any service....as they didn't want fluids in it sitting on the museum floor. They never even started the engine. The whole Dealership Staff came out to hear me fire mine up and drive off. Ahhh.....the early days of the Rune. You think it turns heads now...and it still does.....you should have had one back then!

I got to be in on several "ground zero" happenings with the Rune. Like when my buddy with a Boss Hoss (the same buddy, who beat me to deposit with the local dealer for a Rune)...showed me his small Windvest windshield on the Boss Hoss. I said to myself ....there it is....that's what we need on a Rune for wind protection. Small....stylish....but able to give some wind protection. I contacted Doug at Windvest....talked a bit....told him I ran the Rune board and could help him advertise if they made one for the Rune. I sent him measurements, he sent me a prototype....and we went back and forth a few times....and the WIndvest for the Rune was born. I still have that ORIGINAL.....first ever....Windvest. It's boxed up as a "keepsake". I got another one later and added a Cee Bailey windshield to the Windvest frame.

And for years, people that knew me.....knew I put on other events (like Cheaha for Valkyrie folks up on Cheaha Mountain for 10 years, worked on other Rallies like a Valk rally in Panama City Beach, worked on the Staff on the International Valkyrie Rally, DJed at numerous motorcycle Rallies, etc)....had asked me to put something on for the Rune. At first I resisted, as I just didn't think there were enough of us....or enough interest. But finally, after several years of folks asking....and our numbers grew modestly a little, I decided to go for it and put something on. I had some folks in Erwin TN who had met me or heard of me from other events I was involved with....and they "courted" me to come to Erwin. Said they'd help me lay it out. They were great folks...and helped TREMENDOUSLY. And the Rune Rally was born. We advertised it (rightfully so) as the "World's largest gathering of Runes". There are plenty of pictures floating around of the rallies. Those who went can no doubt share countless stories, photos and tales....of the fun....and adventure....we had. I have MANY life long friends as a result of those rallies. Many don't even own a Rune and haven't for years. But still.....GREAT friends I cherish!

Of course, my original order at Troy AL (the Red one ....MINUS the chrome wheels....Honda started shipping some of the orders with Chrome wheels without the Chrome wheels...due to the continuing issues with the chrome)....finally came in to the Dealer one day. No one else took it. My local Montgomery Dealer wound up buying it from the Troy dealer, and in Feb 2004....I saw it sitting in their local showroom. The Dealer explained what happened....how they wound up getting it. Told me I should buy it for my wife....since after all, I was the original person who ordered it. So now you know how Sherry got hers

Of course, in the end, all that BS about "one per dealer"....was just that. Some dealers got LOTS of them. Some got none. But there was really no need to order one and put a deposit down like some of us did. I did get my $1000 deposit back from the Troy dealer. And sadly, I never did buy a bike from them.............though Lord knows they tried over and over to sell me one over the years. Fact is, I've never bought another bike since buying my wife's Rune in Feb of 2004. And may never buy another one....................I'm not getting any younger.

So, did this LONGGGG story jog anyone's memory out there? Anyone else got an interesting story to share about the Rune? And apologies again to old timers, who've heard all this (or most of it) before. But this "tale", unlike the article.....comes from someone who's "lived the life....lived the dream....actually owns a Rune(s)" 😁

2007. After years of trying, in vain, to diagnose an electrical issue on my 1985 Yamaha Vmax, someone here at work recommended I research for a 'forum' online that dealt specifically with Vmaxs. I had no idea what an online forum was, much less how to use one, but I did the search and found vmaxforum.net and the guys there bent over backward immediately helping me find & fix the issue. Upon seeing my new forum signon there, one of the Vmax gurus asked me how far my listed town was from Eureka Springs, AR and stated the South Central Vmax Assoc was having a Vmax rally there in under two weeks time and thought I might be interested. Shala & I have traditionally spend much time camping at the KOA of Eureka Springs for years and year, and so, we actually went to our first ever bike rally. I'm still grinning about that rally and all the great friends I met there that year, and have not missed one since.

After doing that rally, we took our bikes to Sturgis and also had a great time. While at Sturgis, I had taken my bigger Yamaha Venture Royale in to our local dealer to get some much overdue maintenance issues performed. When I went to retrieve my Venture, I saw a 2004 CBC Rune sitting outside their front door. It was only the 2nd Rune I had ever seen, but back in 2004-5, that IB on our local dealers floor was priced like he didn't really want to ever sell it, and I had to just shake my head and walk away. Anywho, after a few formalities, including having Shala take this used 2004 down the hwy for a quick spin and seeing the LARGE GRIN on her face when she pulled back into the lot, I bought my Rune. It had 3000 miles on it.

Nearly six months later, and many arguments with Shala over who was going to get to ride the Rune to work on any given day, I asked her to go buy her own Rune, and a new, old stock, still in the crate IB was located at a dealer in neighboring Kansas about 115 miles away. With both of us now on Runes, it didn't take long for me to go back online to find whether or not there was a Rune specific forum available. To my delight, there was Tim and the gang AND A 2008 RUNE RALLY being advertised for Labor Day weekend later that year.

We rode all day to get there that Friday before the holiday, arriving in the parking lot just as all the other Runers were lining up to go on the Friday evening dinner ride. I still see Tim's face as he introduced himself to us and said he could hold the Rune train for maybe 5-10 more minutes if we wanted to run in and throw our stuff down and join in. He!! yeah we did!!

And thanks to Tim & Sherry getting us acquainted with the tremendously friendly VRCC Valkyrie crowd at their 2009 Cheaha, AL event, we've also attended many, many Valk gatherings over the years, in KS, MO, AR and OK. Plans are currently being mulled around by us to see if we can attend the annual 2023 Valkyrie Inzane event to be held in Roanoke, VA next June.

I avoid scraping pegs at all costs, and am happy to report I still have my original set mounted and in use to this day, with over 60,000 on the bike currently. I think the 205/50 non-motorcycle specific rubber I have mounted under the rear may actually give me 1/4", or more, additional ground clearance to help keep the pegs from grounding too often.




It's hard to say just how grateful I am to Tim & Sherry for all they've done over the years to make those rallies so successful, and how it changed our lives - for the better. Thank you Tim & Sherry, and all the other fantastic Rune owners we've met over the years. Hopefully, there will be MORE gatherings of some kind or another in the future, even if we don't all have Runes.

Yes, I remember that idiot. Pretty stupid to walk into a private event and sit in our tent and talk trash about us and our bikes. And more than eye some of our wives.

Another memory....how about the "strange guy " that showed up at Erwin....when we did the bike line up for the photo shoot....he pulls out a Corbin solid windshield with Odin painted on it and sits it on a chair....instead of a bike. But that was NOT the REAL strange part. The real strange part was when he started "hitting " on Chuck. And then, it REALLY got even weirder....when he offered to help Jolly Runerider...the ex-Marine....with his laptop putting some photos of the rally on the laptop for Jolly. All seemed OK, until Jolly started looking through the pictures. Buried in the rally pictures....were pictures of this guy naked with his dog. I'll not comment here further what he was doing with the dog. But the next morning, Jolly was gone. He had left early. I had no idea why he had left early or what was going on....until he PMed me and told me what went down. He told me it was all he could do to contain himself and not beat the living daylights out of that weird fool. He said he left early to avoid creating a scene at the rally...because he knew he would no doubt confront the guy and do bodily harm to the weirdo. We asked the guy to leave immediately after I read the PM. And yes, the guy used to post on here. I can't be sure of his username....though I think I remember it. But in case I have the name confused with my "old age memory ", I'll not take a stab at it and mention it....lest I actually get it wrong and shame some innocent board member. But I bet some of the others that were there may indeed remember his board username....

"Other sources/articles have stated that the first one(s) off the production line went to Honda's HQ (Japan),
which to me makes sense seeing how limited in numbers they are, the time for R&D, cost to get it on the road,
how ahead of it's time it was, etc. Leno probably has one of the many #1's that were produced.
Honda's use of a VIN system that makes no sense to those that don't know how it works-
which appears to be most everyone, makes things interesting.
How many motorcycle or vehicle VIN's show the number 0003,0013,0016,0023,0031, etc.
being made prior to a number 0001 unit.
Maybe someday Honda will allow the information about how the Rune's VIN works to become public.

Don't get why the article uses a picture of a Rune that has been altered with painted
side covers, painted wheels (not spec47 paint), missing parts, not setup correctly, etc..

Article does have some great information others have lacked."

RedValk said:

There is PLENTY of scraping and dragging going on 🤪

Click to expand...

Scraping?
Wasn't me.....just someone who looked like me.......I think he went that-a way....... (check out rear tire,looks like I could use some new skins)

RuneSki said:

AND at LEAST 80 lbs. of bags behind her !

Click to expand...

I have no idea, what you're talking about....(leaving for West Coast/26 days rt)

RedValk said:

And the Rune Rally was born. We advertised it (rightfully so) as the "World's largest gathering of Runes".

Click to expand...

Rune Rally 3

RedValk said:

Jolly Runerider...the ex-Marine

Click to expand...

Well that certainly was a flash back